FORT WORTH, Texas — The NRA Personal Protection Expo got underway Friday at the Fort Worth Convention Center. The three-day event features workshops, seminars, and products geared toward personal protection.
The NRA expects about 15,000 to 20,000 people to attend the event.
“We’re not just a bunch of crazy, right-wing gun nuts, really, at the end of the day, we’re just interested in protecting ourselves and our family,” vendor and Bond Arms Owner Garrett Martin said.
Daleside said the people who belong to the NRA and attend events like this don't want to hurt anyone, they want to defend themselves and their family.
“The reason an event like this is so important is that 65% of new gun owners say their primary reason for purchasing a firearm is because of personal protection,” NRA’s Lars Daleside said.
This year’s expo comes following a violent period of time in Texas. One month ago 22 people were killed in a mass shooting in El Paso and a week ago seven people were gunned down in Odessa.
Expo attendees say those deadly events make it even more important that this show goes on.
“If you were ever in a situation like what happened last week, all I can think about is I wouldn’t want to be without a gun, without any way of defending myself or my family,” Martin said. “So I think when you come to shows like this you’re not going to see a reduction of people coming or things like that, you’re going to see the exact opposite.”
If you’d like more information on the Expo you can find it here: https://www.nrapersonalprotectionexpo.com/